[Your browser does not support the -object- tag
or you need the Macromedia Flash Plug-in -- get the latest version
from here.]

Over
564
Served

Szkandelous.features.gamereviews.metalgearsolid2

Fission Mailed: Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty

Someone should slap Hideo Kojima for producing a game
so good and yet so tragically flawed. Metal Gear Solid 2 is a remarkable
achievement in immersion; from the moment you step in as Snake everything
around you gives off the sensation that yes, it is tangible. And yet,
when one looks at the characters that populate this world, the story that
gives the world breath one finds a situation so unbelievable that it destroys
the realism of the environment. Read on for more on the tragedy of Metal
Gear Solid 2, Sons of Liberty.

Graphics

Before the release of Metal Gear 2 there was a dispute
over whether the Playstation 2 could handle the video scenes shown at
E3. I am proud to say that the programmers at Konami have done an outstanding
job at creating one of the most vivid video games released for either
console or computer. For example, during the game’s opening sequence
Snake jumps from the Manhattan Bridge as the camera, falling with Snake,
smoothly navigates itself through the bridge's supports. Is it the smoothness
with which the game engine handles the scene or the beautiful shot as
a result that gives this scene its power? Or maybe a third, the viewer
is awed at the grandeur of the Manhattan bridge itself, not simply because
the graphics are good, but because this digital representation carries
the same majesty as a real bridge.

The graphical magic isn't limited merely to architecture
either: when the situation calls for rain, it effortlessly bounces off
of roofs flowing to the ground, when the main character is walks through
the rain water spray rolls off of the cuffs of his suit. Even more remarkably,
these effects aren't limited to in game cut scenes; the player will experience
this realism throughout the course of the game.

In fact, perhaps the only problem I have with the graphics
in the game is with the model for Solid Snake. His eyes have a strange,
bug like quality and his face just doesn't look like the Snake I imagined
from the first game.

This is not to say that the other character models are
not excellent also. Most noteworthy are the marines guarding Metal Gear
Ray in the tanker chapter. Not only does the game engine render at least
50 character models effortlessly, each one has a unique and realistic
facial structure, giving each discreet marine a look of their own.

In the end, all one can say of the graphics of Metal
Gear Solid 2 is, "wow".

Gameplay

The Metal Gear series has defined itself through gameplay.
Even the original 8-bit Nintendo game featured interactive elements not
found in any other game. In the more recent iterations, the Metal Gear
series has attempted to give its characters an experience so close to
reality that even a weapon's spent clip can be used to distract guards.

With the latest game, in addition to many of the old
classic weapons the character gets an improved sniper rifle, grenade launcher,
and tranquilizer gun. To supplement these additions there is an improved
first person mode featuring peeking, dodging and aiming capabilities.

My one complaint with the gameplay in MGS2 is that the
game seems too easy. The addition of a tranquilizer gun over-simplifies
the game; I found myself putting everyone to sleep with my silenced tranquilizer
darts, no longer having to worry about missing a shot, alerting guards
with my blast, or leaving traces of blood like I did in the first Metal
Gear Solid. Although the security team will occasionally detect that a
guard is asleep, and thus come to investigate, even these nuisances can
be easily avoided with the use of a common household cardboard box. And
unlike the regular guards, the security team isn't discriminating about
which cardboard box you use.

Then there are the unchallenging bosses. One of my favorite
aspects of Metal Gear Solid 1 was that it felt as though each boss match
was a battle of wits against a real enemy. Sure the ninja, and especially
Psycho Mantis were annoying (and frustrating) but they presented a legitimate
barrier in my desire to stop their terrorist group. In MGS2 the bosses
go down easier than some of the regular enemies, and no security team
comes in afterward to kill you once you're done either. Even the inevitable
battle with Metal Gear Ray resembles a battle with a now near-sighted
Meta Gear Rex: it has roughly the same weapons, but the grace and aim
of a teenager.

However, the AI makes up for a lot of this. My favorite
AI moment was when I hid inside of a cubicle, only to watch two guards
split up, plan an attack from both exits, and wave each other to signal
to execute. The PS2's raw computing power is not wasted on this game.

Audio

The sounds in MGS2 reflect the realism of the environment:
hallways clank with your footsteps. a bullet to the head lets off one
of the more unpleasant sounds in the game.

As for music, I'm still undecided. Most of the game
is BGM-less, however in some places ambient electronic music permeates
the air. I like the music overall, but in some places I miss the older,
classical feel of MGS1.

Not that there aren't any classical compositions. Harry
Gregson Williams does a wonderful job composing the main themes for the
game. And the jazz song during the ending is just lovely.

Overall, the audio in MGS2 is of the same quality as
the surrounding environment (and suits it well). It just took me a while
to acclimate to the electronic elements of the score.

Story

If there is one concept that permeates the entire work
it is realism. So, why, why God did Hideo Kojima have to provide such
an outlandish story.

Like all of the other Metal Gears, first you're on a
simple espionage mission, the plot develops, and suddenly the world is
in check. I think most gamers expected something similarly eccentric but
MGS2 bring the level up a notch. There are AIs and secret government groups
and characters have complex and pointless backstories that the player
does not care about.

For example, two of the game's bosses, Vamp and Fortune,
are agents of a former government Special Forces unit, as well as lovers.
Vamp is a bisexual and had actually been seeing Fortune's father who lead
Vamp and Fortune’s special forces unit before his murder. Unfortunately,
none of these factors develop into any sort of cohesive plot. They are,
instead, mentioned in dialog and then promptly forgotten.

Then the player comes to the wacky predicament of Raiden.
It is not my place to say whether it was wise to swap control from Snake
to Raiden (although I do admire Hideo Kojima for considering the effect
of narrative perspective on the video game). However, I can say that the
situation Raiden is thrown into seems a little too silly for a game this
real.

Where should I start? Instead of the wonderfully witty
Mei Ling you get Raiden's annoying girlfriend. You want to save; she wants
to question the nature of your relationship. She is well written as an
annoying girlfriend, but I would venture to argue that most people are
not playing Metal Gear to get in a "conversation" with their
girlfriend. From the start you question why she was chosen for this mission
(she didn't work there before you set out) and of course, throughout the
game the player is thinking "they are going to use her against me".
It's a Metal Gear, right? And predictably, she is used against you, but
not in a way that really necessitates her working at mission control.

The game would be better off if each character came
from an isolated background. There’s only so much melodrama that
a player can put up with.

In the end Metal Gear Solid 2, Sons of Liberty is a
Greek tragedy of a game. It starts off strong, does some amazing feats,
and conquers all those around it. However, its strength, the depth of
realism in the game, is what slays the game. The realism of the environment
presents too bold a contrast to the fiction of the story, and ultimately,
the player wants only to run around in the world without a mission, shooting
people in the head.

All works this site copyright D.
Szkoropad, 2001-2003 unless stated otherwise. This means don't steal
it or I'll tell your mother on you. Domo-kun copyright NHK.